(All images by kiekmal, reproduced with permission)
Stories abound of rays of light shining through the stained glass windows of churches and illuminating a certain individual or specific flagstone on the floor. In these images, urban explorer and urbex photographer Kiekmal creates the effect digitally with striking results.
Despite their former religious and congregational purposes, abandoned churches and chapels are often cold and melancholy places, where any hint of their past community spirit has long since dissipated.
While these ornate little chapels – attached to abandoned European monasteries – are essentially no different, the lighting helps return an element of hope despite the swift onset of urban decay and the uncertain future of their surrounding structures.
Keep reading – get a Rare Glimpse Inside Sheffield’s Abandoned Anglican Chapel and check out 6 Creatively Converted Chapels and Churches.
